Optical element and a light-emitting arrangement which comprises an optical element

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical element for influencing a light that is emitted from a light source, said optical element extending along a longitudinal axis (L). The optical element comprises a front side which faces away from the light source, and a rear side (5) which faces said light source, a plurality of cell-like light entry regions (4) being designed on the rear side (5) in order for light to enter, and extending in a row along a straight line (G) that runs parallel to the longitudinal axis (L). In addition, a deflecting surface region is designed on said rear side (5) for the purpose of at least partially deflecting the light, said region being connected on a side next to said light entry regions (4) with respect to the straight line (G). A light exit region is designed on the front side such that light can at least partially exit. Said deflecting surface region extends along the longitudinal axis (L) and comprises surface regions (7) designed such that each of their surface normals forms an angle smaller than or greater than 90° with the longitudinal axis (L). With this orientation of the surface regions (7), fewer beams of light are passed on, in the manner of a light guide, in the optical element in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) thus resulting in dazzling effects. This therefore reduces the risk of an unwanted dazzling effect. The invention also relates to a corresponding arrangement of emitting light.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An optical element for influencing light emitted from a light source ( 1 ), said optical element extending along a longitudinal axis (L), which comprises
 a front side ( 2 ), which faces away from the light source ( 1 ), and 
 a rear side ( 3 ), which faces said light source ( 1 ), 
 a plurality of cell-like light entry regions ( 4 ) being located on the rear side ( 3 ) in order for light to enter, and extending in a row along a straight line (G) that runs parallel to the longitudinal axis (L), 
 a deflecting surface region ( 5 ) being designed for the purpose of at least partially deflecting the light internally, said deflecting surface region being located on the rear side next to said light entry regions ( 4 ) and extending away from the straight line (G), and 
 a light exit region ( 6 ) located on the front side ( 2 ) in such a way that light can at least partially exit through the light exit region ( 6 ), 
 wherein said deflecting surface ( 5 ) extends along the entire length of the optical element generally parallel with the longitudinal axis (L) except for at least one glare reducing structure also extending along the entire length of the optical element formed by adjacent, longitudinally inclined surface regions ( 7 ) configured in such a way that a normal to each inclined surface region forms an angle smaller or greater than 90° with the longitudinal axis (L). 
 
     
     
       2. The optical element according to  claim 1 , wherein the inclined surface regions ( 7 ) of the glare reducing structure are formed by planar surfaces ( 71 ,  72 ) that are separated from each other by edges, and the main orientation of the glare reducing structure is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis (L). 
     
     
       3. The optical element according to  claim 2 , in which the inclined surface regions ( 7 ), viewed along the longitudinal axis (L), comprise several points (S) that are a maximum distance from the straight line (G) and these points coincide with central ranges of the respective light entry regions ( 6 ). 
     
     
       4. The optical element according to  claim 1 , in which the inclined surface regions ( 7 ) are formed by rounded structures. 
     
     
       5. The optical element according to  claim 1  in which the deflecting surface region ( 5 ) comprises a plurality of gradations ( 51 ,  52 ,  53 ,  54 ). 
     
     
       6. The optical element according to  claim 5 , in which the inclined surface regions ( 7 ) are formed at the gradation ( 51 ) that is closest to the straight line (G). 
     
     
       7. The optical element according to  claim 5 , in which the inclined surface regions ( 7 ) are formed only at the gradation ( 51 ) that is closest to the straight line (G). 
     
     
       8. An optical element for influencing light emitted from a light source ( 1 ), said optical element extending along a longitudinal axis (L), which comprises
 a front side ( 2 ), which faces away from the light source ( 1 ), and 
 a rear side ( 3 ), which faces said light source ( 1 ), 
 a plurality of cell-like light entry regions ( 4 ) being designed on the rear side ( 3 ) in order for light to enter, and extending in a row along a straight line (G) that runs parallel to the longitudinal axis (L), wherein each of the cell-like light entry regions ( 4 ) comprises a cup-shaped recess for light to enter where a bottom of the recess has a lens-shaped arch, and a flank where at least a portion an outer surface of the flank faces a portion of the outer surface of the flank of an adjacent cell-like light entry region, 
 a deflecting surface region ( 5 ) located for the purpose of at least partially deflecting the light internally, said region being located on the rear side next to said light entry regions ( 4 ) and extending away from the straight line (G), and 
 a light exit region ( 6 ) being designed on the front side ( 2 ) in such a way that light can at least partially exit through the light exit region ( 6 ), 
 wherein the outer surface of the flank of each of the cell-like light entry regions ( 4 ) comprises at least one tilted surface region ( 41 ,  42 ) such that a normal to the surface encloses an angle with the longitudinal axis (L) that is greater than 0° and smaller than 90°. 
 
     
     
       9. The optical element according to  claim 8 , in which the surface regions ( 41 ,  42 ) of the light entry regions ( 4 ) have a rounded design. 
     
     
       10. A light-emitting arrangement, which comprises a light source ( 1 ) for emitting light and an optical element according to  claim 8 , the arrangement being designed in such a way that the light at least partially enters the optical element via the light entry regions ( 4 ). 
     
     
       11. The arrangement according to  claim 10 , in which the light source comprises at least one LED. 
     
     
       12. The arrangement according to  claim 11 , in which the light source comprises a plurality of LEDs that are designed in such a way that the light enters the optical element by way of two LEDs via one of the light entry regions ( 4 ). 
     
     
       13. A light-emitting arrangement, which comprises
 a light source ( 1 ) for emitting light, and 
 an optical element according to  claim 1 , the arrangement being designed in such a way that the light at least partially enters the optical element via the light entry regions ( 4 ). 
 
     
     
       14. The arrangement according to  claim 13  in which the light source comprises at least one LED. 
     
     
       15. The arrangement according to  claim 14  in which the light source comprises a plurality of LEDs that are designed in such a way that the light enters the optical element by way of two LEDs via one of the light entry regions ( 4 ).